The Foundation Department at New Ulm Medical Center, part of Allina Health, recently purchased and donated six ResQPUMPs to area first responders, including the Brown County Sheriff's Department and New Ulm Police Department. These donations are in addition to the 13 devices that were purchased and donated in early 2016, along with training in the use of the device for almost 60 first responders.

The pumps assist first responders when responding to an active cardiac arrest. The ResQ CPR system is made up of two parts. The first is the ResQPUMP. This handheld device includes a suction cup that is placed on the chest and a handle that contains a force gauge and a metronome. With it, the caregiver gives active compression-decompression CPR. It compresses the chest like manual CPR to make the heart pump, and it decompresses the chest to generate a vacuum that refills the heart. It is the only device that is FDA-approved to perform this type of resuscitation.

"I'm so impressed with the collaboration in this community between police and sheriff and EMS (Emergency Medical Services) when it comes to taking care of our citizens," said Gina Perschau-Becker, supervisor of the Allina Health Emergency Medical Service in New Ulm.

"This kind of collaboration is exactly why the Foundation felt like this was such a great purchase," said NUMC Foundation Director Missy Dreckman. "It exemplifies the teamwork outside the walls of New Ulm Medical Center."

On hand for the donation was not only officials from the Brown County Sheriff's Department and the New Ulm Police Department but also Jill Hady, a New Ulm resident whose life was saved by the quick actions of two NUMC registered nurses who happened to be on hand when she went into sudden cardiac arrest in January 2016. The nurses were quickly backed up by law enforcement who arrived within minutes with an Automated External Defibrillator (AED). Hady said she experienced, first hand, how important it is for first responders to be equipped with the latest and best equipment when minutes can mean the difference between a good or bad outcome.